


A Blackbird’s Holiday

by B_Radley



Series: Rarities [9]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Brothers, Comfort, F/M, Families of Choice, Gift, Grief, Healing, Respite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-15
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:48:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21798631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/B_Radley/pseuds/B_Radley
Summary: A Blackbird is given a gift of respite on Life Day.
Relationships: Shiv/Dani Faygan
Series: Rarities [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1027704
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3





	A Blackbird’s Holiday

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SLWalker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SLWalker/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Blackbirds: Year One](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11036421) by [SLWalker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SLWalker/pseuds/SLWalker). 



> This is a gift for SLWalker, using characters and situations from their _Blackbirds: Year One_ universe. A bit of fluff, with more angst than I’d originally intended. Any mistakes or lapses in timeline are mine.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Shiv watches as the _Nu_ -class settles in for a landing, the ramp already down. He gazes at the darkening sky of the Corellian sunset. He grins as he pulls his duffel coat tighter over his garrison blacks against the chill of the late year. He brings his cap to his head; his eyes widen as he sees the small figure standing in the clearing. 

He manages to concentrate on how his heart is beating faster, rather than where the blood that’s being pumped is actually rushing. He is glad that he is wearing the long duffel coat as he feels the figure’s gift wash over him. 

_I guess I’m in range of it_ , he thinks. 

“Yeah, you are, bud,” says a drawling voice, whose owner has moved to stand beside him. Taliesin Croft is for once dressed in his Jedi robes, rather than the mismatch of armor and fatigues that he wears on active service with his commandos. Shiv starts, wondering if he’d spoken aloud.

“Don’t worry, Shiv. You didn’t,” Croft says. “You just had that look all over your face.”

Shiv breathes out. “Good to know. I though I had the same dumb look on my face that I always have.”

Croft gives his crooked grin. “That’s my line, Sergeant. I use it quite a lot.”

“Can’t imagine why,” Shiv retorts, “sir.”

He matches the grin as he realizes that Croft is holding his own robe closed, much like Shiv is holding his duffel coat closed. 

Croft pulls his hand out of the pocket of the robe long enough to shove him towards the hatch. He realizes that the shuttle is winding its engines up as he take an involuntary step towards the ground. 

He turns around, just in time to catch the small pack that Croft’s huge Sergeant-Major, Drop, tosses towards him. He starts to open his mouth as the shuttle starts to climb.

“You didn’t think anyone else would need to hold my hand, other than Drop?” Croft shouts. 

As the ship flares away, he remembers Maul’s eyes looking at him over his desk as he handed him the chip with his orders. “Go on. We’re standing down for awhile. Croft specifically asked for you on this liaison mission to the Corellians,” he said in his dry voice. One corner of his mouth lifts in a smile. “You need it, Shiv. You’ve been pushing yourself pretty hard to get the Blackbirds back into shape. Croft sees it—so do I. So for the next ten-day, you’re assigned to him. Should be easy duty.”

“What about the others?” he had asked.

“Who do you think came up with the idea for this blue-milk run for you?” Maul asked. “Don’t worry. Drop has something in mind for them—something relaxing.”

“That’s not reassuring. His idea of relaxing is an assault course with live ammo.”

His memory of his new assignment is shoved away by two arms encircling his middle. He grins and turns around, looking down and into the laughing purple eyes of Dani Faygan. She reaches up, a mischievous grin on her lips, an instant before she places those lips on the tip of his nose. 

Shiv feels his eyes narrowing. “This was a setup, wasn’t it?” he asks. 

Her lips move to his, silencing the next question. 

After several moments of artificial respiration, they break away from the lip lock. “I’ll never tell,” she replies. She pulls him closer. “I just happen to have some influence with the GAR. I like my Life Day gifts to be warm and cuddly when I open them.”

He raises his eyebrow. “Life Day? I thought that was a Wookiee holiday,” he says. 

She turns and takes his arm in hers, her warm hand clasping his as they begin to walk towards a path lit with green and red globes. “It is. But it’s been adopted by the Corellians, well actually lots of worlds. It’s part of our Festival of Light and Renewal.”

“Oh,” is all that he says. 

“We like to party on Corellia. We make use of all three of the festival months at the end of the Galactic year,” she says. 

“So this thing lasts three months? Y’all do like to party.” 

She laughs merrily at the slip in his accent, into at least one word with a Corellian inflection. He answers her laugh by moving his hand inside her green velvet cloak and burrowing through the layers of clothing to the bare skin of her belly. She squeaks, then retaliates in her own way. One that leaves him breathless after their kiss and feel of her in his arms. 

He stares into her eyes, now gone full black with strong emotion, something that he’d always marveled at. She gives a sheepish smile, as if remembering he had said something. 

“No, doofus,” she says, “we have a different festival for each month.”

They are seated next to one another on a comfortable couch, before a roaring fire before she continues. “The month before this is the Festival of Gratitude. It commemorates the day that the first Covenant of Corellia gave her oath, over 25,000 years ago.”

“Covenant?” he asks as he sips at his warm drink. He smiles at the slight bite of the whisky in the creamy concoction. 

“It’s a title of nobility, but one with more responsibility than privilege. They are the Protector of Corellia. This place, _Cosainglas_ —the Shield of Green, is where Covenants are traditionally raised.”

He knits his brows together. “Is there one now? A Covenant?”

She looks into the flames, then at the darkness of her cup. “No. The last one abdicated and died. There’s one who is eligible, but he refused the Chain—he said that his duty lay with the Republic. With the Jedi.”

He is silent for a moment—just a moment before realization hits him. “Croft?” he asks incredulously. 

She nods, giving him a smirk. “Yeah. Hard to believe, ain’t it?”

“Didn’t think he was that deep,” he says with his own smirk. “Wait’ll the guys hear this.”

Dani places her fingers on his lips. “Not too many people know this. Could be dangerous for him,” she says quietly. 

He nods. “I won’t tell anyone,” he says. “But you gotta give me something,” he adds. “Something to hold over him,” he says. 

“Well, I don’t know. He is my cousin, although he doesn’t know it.”

His eyes widen. “Wait—didn’t you—“

“By marriage,” she says, shoving him slightly.

The shove precipitates another session of wrestling. After they both run down, she looks down at him from her vantage point, sitting on his stomach. He realizes that she is staring into his eyes. She reaches down and brushes a stray hair from his forehead. Her eyes tear slightly.

He reaches up and places his large hand on her cheek, using his thumb to brush away the forming tears. “Hey,” he whispers, “thought the celebration of Light is supposed to be happy.”

She closes her eyes. “I know. I just wish you were here, not fighting in a war that none of us seem to understand.”

He shakes his head, his heart clinching. For a moment, he sees Rabbit’s earnest face in his mind. 

Dani’s face crumples, as she turns away. 

Shiv adds his other hand to her other cheek. “I know, sweetie,” he says, “but I’m here. Right now. That’s all that matters.” 

They are interrupted by a droid walking in. It stares at them with no expression.

At least until she speaks. 

“If you could take a break from the mating rituals, dinner is served.”

Shiv’s eyebrow raises again. “Oh shut up, Niner,” Dani says. “Go back to your desk. You make a shitty butler droid.”

“Just because the Dragon lets you stay here, sweet-cheeks, doesn’t mean I can’t boss you around,” the admin droid says. She turns on her chassis and leaves. 

“So what do you wish for, Shiv?” Dani asks as they rise. 

“I wish my brothers were here. The other Blackbirds.” He focuses on her lips. 

She nods. “Your medic, Tally, was the one that put me up to this. He told me you were driving yourself into the ground, looking after all of them.” She hugs him to her, unable to meet her eyes. “Especially after Rabbit died.”

Shiv allows his face to rest on her warm shoulder. “But they’re not here to enjoy this.”

Dani grins. “He said you’d say that,” she says warmly, “so my father and I decided to send some Life Day cheer to them. Taliesin wasn’t able to wangle ten troopers and a Lieutenant as an escort. So he might be coming here quite a bit over the next few weeks for ‘consultations’. He’ll bring one or two of you with him—maybe even go to Alderaan, so that you can visit Rabbit. In the meantime, they’ll enjoy the same meal that you will.”

He closes his eyes, squeezing them tight. “Can I thank your father?” he asks. 

“Well, that might be a trick. He doesn’t know that I know that he’s my father. He’s made some enemies in his time.”

“Okay, that’s different,” Shiv replies after he is able to close his mouth. Dani giggles. “Let’s just say that he has some _reptilian_ qualities.”

Something that Niner, the admin droid had said—

About a Dragon. He searches his knowledge of flora and fauna, hoping he can remember which is which. 

_Oh._

“So apparently someone I’m very attached to is the daughter of one of the most powerful Corellian movers and shakers there is?” He looks up over the mantle at a painting. A painting of two men, their arms about each other’s shoulders. One, an extremely tall individual with piercing blue eyes. Shiv smiles as he sees the jawline on the face of Draq’ Bel Iblis. The same jawline as one that he has kissed a great deal. The other—

A man with the same features, albeit uncovered, as the Jedi who’d brought him here. The one was moving heaven and earth to help he and his brothers heal. 

“He married Taliesin’s father’s sister,” she says at his look.

She pulls him towards a double door, which opens. To a small table, laden with enough food to feed a legion.

“Come on, bud,” she says. “I’ll probably eat most of this—you’ve seen me eat.”

“Yeah. Just glad I managed to survive— _oof_ ,” he finishes as her small fist retreats from his stomach. 

“A girl has to keep her energy up, if she’s going to rock the universe of a handsome trooper. Might want to carb up.” She pulls him to the table.

“So that you can keep up with me tonight.”

Later, as she watches him sleep, his features youthful, as always, she thinks of the First Festival Month that she had purposefully not mentioned.

The Festival of the Thin Veil. When the border between the living and the dead is supposedly thin and the dead are reborn for one night. 

A superstition, but one that helps foster the memory of those who have gone before. When their lives are celebrated, for how they had enriched the living. 

Daaineran Faygan can only hope that she can tell Shiv of this in ten months’ time, when the memory of Rabbit won’t be as raw. 

When he and the Blackbirds can celebrate Rabbit’s life and its impact. 

She only hopes that they will all be there to remember. She shakes her head of the darkness. She pulls him closer to her breasts, holding him tightly.

They will visit Alderaan tomorrow. She will leave him to his memories of one who is ‘marching far away.’

In the meantime, she will enjoy her Life Day gift; she will enjoy the rhythm of his heartbeat against her ear while he rests from his cares. She will enjoy him living.

She joins him in that rest.


End file.
